11-7-2023 (JAKARTA) State-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) is preparing to launch a public trial of the Greater Jakarta LRT on Wednesday (July 12), with full public service set to begin on August 18, according to the company.
During the trial period, the LRT will operate four trips a day, stopping at three stations: Dukuh Atas Station in Jakarta, Harjamukti Station in Cibubur, West Java, and Jatimulya Station in Bekasi, West Java.
Each trip will be limited to 150 passengers, allowing a maximum of 600 people to be served per day during the trial.
To participate in the trial, prospective passengers must register through a link provided on the Greater Jakarta LRT’s social media accounts. During registration, they will be required to provide their personal information and select a date to book a seat.
For the one-month trial period, tickets will cost Rp 1 (less than a hundredth of a US penny) each. Once the LRT commences full operations, passengers will be charged between Rp 5,000 (33 US cents) and Rp 25,000.
The construction of the LRT began in 2015, initially targeting completion for the 2018 Asian Games. However, the project faced delays due to funding and land acquisition challenges.
By 2021, the project had exceeded its budget by more than Rp 2.7 trillion, according to the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry. Once fully operational, the Greater Jakarta LRT is expected to transport up to 500,000 passengers per day. With 18 stations along a 44km route, the LRT service aims to alleviate the chronic traffic congestion in Greater Jakarta.
When combined with the existing Commuter Line train, which runs on a similar route, the two rail services will have the capacity to carry around 1.7 million passengers daily.
Additionally, Jakarta already has an MRT system that connects the Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle with Lebak Bulus along its North-South Line, serving an average of nearly 70,000 passengers per day. The government is considering extending the LRT network further south and east from Jakarta to include Bogor city and Karawang regency in West Java.
Currently, the LRT line extends to Depok in West Java to the south and Bekasi regency in West Java to the east.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi announced in June that officials were conducting a feasibility study for the proposed extensions. If implemented, the expanded LRT network would accommodate more passengers and further reduce traffic congestion and pollution in Jakarta.
